うねうね

うねうね
adverb, onomatopoeia
winding; meandering; undulating
descriptive
1. winding; meandering; snaking; undulating
A mimetic word (擬態語(ぎたいご)) for something long that curves repeatedly from side to side or rises and falls in gentle waves — a mountain road, a river, a line of hills, a cable.
道(みち)がうねうねと続(つづ)く。
The road winds on and on.
川(かわ)が平野(へいや)をうねうねと流(なが)れている。
The river meanders across the plain.
うねうねした山道(やまみち)を一時間(いちじかん)走(はし)って、ようやく村(むら)に着(つ)いた。
After driving an hour along the winding mountain road, we finally reached the village.

Related to the noun 畝(うね) (a ridge in a field), which captures the repeated rise-and-fall image. Usually appears as うねうねと before a verb, or as うねうねした / うねうねの before a noun.

Common patterns

Similar words

  • くねくね: winding — much the same, but suggests sharper, tighter bends and is also used of a body swaying
  • ぐねぐね: twisting — stronger and rougher than くねくね
  • にょろにょろ: slithering — for snake-like movement of a living thing, not a fixed shape

Related Words

Compare: くねくね (winding)
Compare: にょろにょろ (slithering)
general
Added 2026.8.2 0:17 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
30000/30300_uneune